I check the time on my phone, and then I check it again. I can’t remember the last time I went to a concert by myself – maybe one time in Boston when Fiona Apple was in town like 15 years ago (rock!), which probably isn’t too far off from the last time I saw Girl in a Coma live! But I notice I’m not the only one standing solo, and I’m not alone; I’m surrounded by fellow queer Latines whom are clearly as diehard as I am about this band. I let myself relax.
Tonight, I’m here for me; and I’m also here for the women of Girl in a Coma whom have always been there for me – since I first found them so many years back, on rotation at my college radio station where I was a DJ with indie rock star dreams. They’re back in New York after years of hiatus, and I’m determined to do my part in the crowd so that they feel the love from us tonight.
The lead singer of Choked Up, one of the opening bands, yells out that this next one is for all of us who have experienced the transformative moment of actually seeing ourselves reflected up on stage in the hardcore scene, and that truth lands squarely in my chest with an explosion of a million tiny pink hearts (my heart is pinkpantheress aesthetic-coded lately I guess!) because even though I cannot relate to plugging into a hardcore scene, even though I don’t rock out this hard on a regular basis by any means, the few Girl in a Coma shows I’ve been to have given me that sensation, that empowered knowing that if they could do this, I could do it; I can do anything, bitch!
Speaking of the hardcore scene, I check my phone, which glows in a brat-like green and projects a frozen moment of time of my girlfriend and I getting ready in the mirror, me showing off a black SWEAT Tour t-shirt. I consider how my visually loud af lock screen might land in this punk rock concert space, and at first, I’m slightly embarrassed. I take a breath and a moment, though, and realize it makes perfect sense for me to like Charli and also Girl in a Coma: both of those live experiences are based around gathering in a space to completely rage the fuck out. I imagine Charli would fuck with GIAC heavy actually; she would praise their staying true to themselves and their artistry. They would kill at Lido Festival!
Anyway!, all things considered, I decide that I actually feel right at home in this space tonight. That is the undeniable power of representation and also women + queer poc with guitars, quite simply. It’s fighting music, and I want to kick someone’s ass as much as the next dude; I just need a soundtrack that resonates with me, and it isn’t Turnstile; it’s this Girl in a Coma power music that I’ve been rocking out to since 2008.
After upbeat, rallying cry sets from openers plastiq passion and Choked Up that made me feel like I belonged in this hardcore scene <3, the curtains parted for Girl in a Coma. I freaked out when they hit the stage alongside everyone else in the packed room at TV Eye, a pretty cool and spacious bar/venue/outdoor hang spot on an unassuming side street in Ridgewood.
Opening with “Say” only felt right, and so did every other song on the set list. It was a sentimental and affirming night of reliving hit after hit with our besties, Nina, Jenn, and Phanie.
The guy next to me had to squeal out “OH MY GOD” when Nina started playing the opening riff to “El Monte,” and I couldn’t hold back a “woo!” when I heard the opening chords of “Celibate Now” ring out. The nostalgia was real, and it was so powerful to stand beside so many people – so many people who looked like me – and watch each one have that special moment with their favorite songs one by one. It was also adorable, lol – we would all giggle at each person’s “woo” moment, just so giddy to be at a Girl in a Coma show again after all these years.
“Their Cell” of course hit extra hard for everyone. After flipping out upon recognition of the song, we all collectively fell silent for that iconic opening riff, like a prayer, as Nina led the way. We sang along to the dreamy intro of “Clumsy Sky” before kicking into thrash mode when the drums hit. Then, the band debuted a new song that featured a vocal range moment from Nina that left us all speechless before a complete punk meltdown of an outro (they’ve been working on new material!!!). They carried this energy into “Ven Cerca,” a favorite of mine for the way it starts out as a firm suggestion and then escalates into a FUCKING THREAT!
An encore performance of “Si Una Vez” set the place ablaze, their hardcore meets playful tribute to the Selena classic. They said they’ll be back, and the place went up again. Then they said to meet them at the merch table, and I bought two items because if there is any band I want to represent, any band I want to wear proudly (I got mad compliments on the streets of Bushwick a couple days later!), it’s these women who mean so much to me, and to so many others.
I check my phone for the first time in a while — time flies when you’re rocking the fuck out, and they played for like an hour straight! See you again soon, chicas!
xo C